Björgdag

Nestled between great mountains, stony marches and ashy wastes, bordering turbulent seas and treacherous kingdoms, one can find the rolling green pastures, vibrant wildflower meadows and the scenic alpine tundra of Björgdag. Despite its open country and panoramic views, it is a place of countless ancient secrets, half-remembered only by legend, awaiting to be rediscovered and brought to light once more.

From its mightiest stone-walled city to its smallest farming village, Björgdag is home to a hardy but simple people, who value bountiful harvests, lively music for dancing, and friends to share mead with. Though they tend to dress in dull colors, men and women of Björgdag often liven their appearance with precious metals, usually in the form of rings, necklaces and brooches. It is popular to ornament such jewelry with rare stones, or engravings that depict natural motifs of flowers, leaves or small animals. Many also bear runic symbols that in some way pay homage to Jord, goddess of earth, who is said to watch over the land and hold dark spirits at bay. Divine symbols of this fashion can also be found plenty elsewhere throughout the kingdom, whether they be the artistic wood carvings found upon the furnishings in any home, or upon the mystical Runestones that are said to protect the land’s every city, town and village.

Although Björgdag has withstood a long history of wars and incursions from beasts and other monsters, it has not gone without loss; notable to some scholars is that Björgdag no longer possesses the mastery of magic purported by ancient legend, and gaps in its historical record shroud pieces of the royal bloodline that began with the mythical king Alfbrandt. Some believe Björgdag will one day regain its past strength and prestige, as its old mysteries continue to be recovered by adventurers, from the ruins of remote, abandoned cities that lie along the realm's wild borders. Others believe that by the favor of Jord, the land may fall upon other great fortunes, and will grow to new heights. But, a darkness grows in Björgdag, casting doubts upon the future of the kingdom … and in some minds, threatening to consume the land whole.

Troubles have recently grown as a result of the absence of the current ruler, King Osrik II, who has taken Björgdag’s armies far north to Nibelungen, land of the Dwarves, to honor an alliance against the dreaded Frost Giants that unceasingly threaten the realm. As a bloody campaign wages afar, the wise but young Princess Hildebrandt has seen her people suffer emboldened Gnoll hordes, brazen Ogres and Trolls, strange and corrupting Cults, and growing tension with the neighboring kingdom of Halvar, ever envious of Björgdag’s lands and treasures. Many an adventurer and opportunist has found their way to these imperiled lands, seeking to make their way to fame and fortune through aiding its inhabitants, or taking what the realm has to offer for themselves.

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Hi! Björgdag is the setting to the current campaign I’m running for some friends. It features a spattering of junk inspired by European myths and legends, fantasy elements popularized by the likes of The Elder Scrolls series, and me butchering Scandinavian words and names to get that quasi-legit Norse feel. I decided to start up this wiki for a few reasons; apart from it just being cool to have for our group, I also wanted to recapture a feel for the game I once experienced with a Persistent World server for NWN2 a long while back. Getting lost in that setting’s universe was a real treat for me, and I’d like to develop a new setting whose lore holds that kind of appeal for others.

Of course, it’s not really just my setting; it belongs to the group and each participant helps to shape it through their actions in play. Beyond that, I’m actually hoping that during our frequent downtime we can find other ways to expand on the world, perhaps through short stories or unique lore entries that don’t directly relate to current adventures. They might be contemporary to campaign events, or ancient songs or legends that simply endure as a piece of cool history. They might not even take place in Björgdag! After all, this is just one kingdom in a vast setting; and although that may be confusing because the campaign wiki is called Björgdag, I assure you, that’s only because I couldn’t think of a name for the world and I didn’t wanna give this jazz a generic “Misremembered Locations”-esque title. Maybe one day I’ll come up with something.

Anyway, this may be barren for a brief bit, but I’m gonna update it here and there with some junk as I get free time and manage to overcome my lazy nature. I hope you enjoy reading!